Book Review: The Lying Kind( Detective Rachel Prince Book #1) by Alison James

Through ” The Lying Kind”, Alison James introduces Detective Rachel Prince. Another police procedural with a strong female lead. So how does it stand from the others ?

Six year old- Lola Jade Harper is taken away from her home. The mother of the child blames it on her estranged husband Gavin Harper. The local police investigates and conducts search for the missing child. However, they couldn’t locate the child or pin down a suspect and it becomes the most high profile missing child case in the country. When Gavin Harper disappears suddenly and is suspected to be out of the country, DI Rachel Prince is asked to assist the case.
Price and her sidekick DS Brickall team up with the local police to re-interview witnesses and family members. They follow several possible clues but everything leads them in circles. As the case progresses, the body of a local woman is found. The death at first seems unrelated, until a trail of social media posts lead Rachel to a chilling discovery. With growing pressure from the media and public, Rachel and her team struggle to bring Lola Jade home before its too late.

The Lying Kind is more of a police procedural than a fast paced thriller. I found the ending a bit dramatic but the book kept me hooked throughout. Alison takes her time in introducing and developing her main character. The story alternates between the case investigation and messed up personal life of Rachel Prince. Rachel seems to have issues with relationships and doesn’t seem to hold high ethical standard. However she is intelligent and a very capable detective. There are moments where her minute observations leading to major breakthrough in the case. She & Brickall make a great team and their interaction adds humor to a very serious story line. Though far from perfect, I ended up liking detective Prince and I’m looking forward to finding out more about her.

Thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture for the review copy.

Overall, The Lying Kind is a great debut from Alison James and I would totally recommend it for fans of Kim Stone, Erica Foster & Robyn Carter.

4/5 stars